In Living Color: Queer Artists Shaping Pride Through Art
Pride began as a protest — and queer art still carries that fire. These artists aren’t just creating beauty; they’re challenging systems, reclaiming space, and telling stories that demand to be heard. This Pride, Jejune Magazine highlights individuals who utilize their art as a means of creating change, promoting visibility, and fostering liberation.
Katie O’Neill
Who Are They: Katie O’Neill (They/Them) is a self-taught writer and illustrator. O’Neill has published three books, which have won Eisner, Harvey, and Dwayne McDuffie awards for children’s comics. They were also a finalist for the Cybils award and featured on the ALA Rainbow List.
About Their Art: Katie O’Neill’s books are suitable for readers of all ages. Their books showcase young characters learning about themselves and their strengths, as they protect and find their place in the world around them, and feature various kinds of relationships. Their books are also based around nature, different types of creatures, mindfulness, mental health, and the magic of everyday life.
Work: Graphic novels, The Tea Dragon Festival, The Tea Dragon Society, Aquicorn Cove, and Princess Princess Ever After
Price: $
Pride Flag SD
Who Are They: Pride FlagSD is a Queer-owned business that specializes in hand-sewn Pride Flags. Their business started as a response to the lack of representation in the flag industry. Pride FlagSD is not another company that celebrates Pride once a year.
About Their Art: Each flag is crafted with the highest-quality flag-grade materials and finished with a canvas header and brass grommets. This process ensures that the flags are equally vibrant on both sides.
Work: 24 different hand-sewn flags, including The Transgender Pride Flag, Gilbert Baker's Original Historic Pride Flag, the Rainbow Flag, the 11-Stripes flag, and more.
Price: $
Small Victories
Who Are They: Small Victories was started by artists Isa Wang (He/Him) and Vincent Frano (He/They/She). They combine their interests in illustration and environmental stewardship to design beautiful and functional items that inspire us to connect, uplift, and care for one another.
About Their Art: All of Small Victories' products are made with eco-conscious materials whenever possible. They also donate 10% of their profits each quarter to ecological and LGBTQ+ organizations that support the communities and environment on which Small Victories depend.
Work: Plantable seed cards, original illustrations, pronoun badges, and accessories
Price: $
Mege Emiko Art
Who Are They: Miko (They/He) is an Asian American, Trans non-binary artist and activist. They produce affirming apparel, and a percentage of their net profits is donated directly to the surgery funds of trans people.
About Their Art: Meg Emiko Art creates art and apparel that represents and advocates for the LGBTQIA+ communities, aiming to help others feel seen, heard, loved, and represented.
Work: Apparel, stickers, tote bags, and pins
Price: $$
Mud Witch
Who Are They: Viviana Matsuda (They/Them) is a queer Japanese and Mexican artist, and self-proclaimed chubby artist. Their love and passion for ceramics is a product of their grief over losing their father, who was a ceramicist.
About Their Art: Some pieces are chubby and have uneven curves. Colorful pieces are smooth or rough, some have freckles, and yet they are still beautiful in their diversity. Even though the Mud Witch brand has grown, Viviana still does all of the work behind the wheel.
Work: Mugs and cups, planters and vases, bowls, plates, hats, and clothes
Price: $$
Hello Muka
Who Are They: Hello Muka is a small company of four artists and lifelong friends — Lisa, Alex, Anita, and Tony — who share big dreams. The group started Hello Muka to create more opportunities for LGBTQIA+ communities, BIPOC communities, and AAPI communities to see themselves represented in authentic and nuanced ways.
About Their Art: Hello, Muka is making the world a little more diverse one design at a time. They are building a future where all cultures, skin colours, and gender expressions are celebrated.
Work: Accessories, enamel pins, earrings, clothing, and more.
Price: $
Brandy Mars
Who Are They: Brandy Mars (She/Her) creates art from the woman-loving-woman gaze. Previously, Mars was a fashion designer and a costumer in the film industry. Now she’s out of the closet and running the gayest little gift shop in all the land.
About Their Art: Their collection includes over 350 pieces, aiming to bring representation to the LGBTQIA+ community. Mars’s work has been featured in Vogue, Vanity Fair, The Toronto Star, World of Interiors, and The Georgia Straight, as well as Netflix’s Snowpiercer season 3.
Work: Their product line has extended to now include home goods, clothing, posters, canvas prints, sassy saphic candy, and greeting cards.
Price: $$$
Abby Sloan
Who Are They: Abby Sloan (She/Her) found painting as a way to express the big feelings she was feeling. She painted her way through joy, sadness, confusion, and everything in between. Painting is one of her favorite languages for conveying the essence of what they're trying to say, with a richness that words can never match.
About Their Art: Abby creates original prints and paintings to elevate your personal space and help others express their unique styles. She hopes that in her art, you may recognize a bit of your own experience. Her art conveys all the big feelings into something tangible and meaningful.
Work: Paint by numbers, cards, shirts, prints, and originals
Price: $$$
Keaton Belli Pottery
Who Are They: Keaton Belli is a mixed media and ceramics artist. Belli aims to offer consumers unique household items that evoke joy and tactile curiosity. All of their work is handmade in California.
About Their Art: Keaton Belli makes functional, mixed-media, ceramic vessels for plants, candles, and libations. Each piece showcases the technical aspects of pottery and fiber art alongside the playful creativity of handicrafts.
Work: Vessels for plants, flowers, and other treasures
Price: $$
Chicago Queer Creations
Who Are They: Leo (They/Them) started Chicago Queer Creations after finding freedom in ceramics and embroidery. As a full-time student, creating was the perfect way for them to care for themselves and their mental health.
About Their Art: Leo’s art can be found on their online store, as well as in various locations around Chicago and Colorado. Each piece is either hand-built or wheel-thrown by Leo. As a little bonus, each package comes with free cat hair placed there precisely by a cat!
Work: Ceramics, magnets, embroidery
Price: $$
These artists remind us that queer liberation is not just a goal — it’s a practice, and art is one of its most powerful tools.
